A Little Side Trip

We weren’t tired of Cape Town, quite the opposite. But, we had always wanted to see what’s known as the Garden Route. In 2016 we sailed the Garden Route but never had the chance to drive it. Here was a chance to see at least a part of it.

Starting off in Cape Town we drove directly to Knysna. Knysna is well known in the sailing community as it’s one of the very few places along the South African coast that offers excellent protection from the wildness of the southern coast. However, to get inside the heads at Knysna is a challenge. It’s not always possible to enter due to the breaking waves on the approach. Hence, sailing the coast in 2016 we stayed away but this time we visited on a beautiful day.

We stayed one night in Knysa making the rounds of pubs and  bakeries. The best bakery in the whole of South Africa (that’s  a big claim as there are many) is in Knysna – called Ile de Pain. An amazing place that truly makes excellent breads.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have a lot of time to spend here so the next day on to Plettenburg, which is situated close to Tsitsikamma National Park. The area is riddled with incredible hikes and beautiful beaches, of which we only managed to enjoy a few.

Regrettably, it’s a quick tturnaround for us and we head back to Cape Town with a one night stop in Agulhas, which is at the intersection of the Indian and Atlantic Ocean.

Then, it was back to Cape Town via the wine growing district of Stellenbosch. It was a lot of driving. The scenery, not only along the coastline, but through some of the most productive farming communities of the interior, is stunning with beautifully maintained small farming towns and as always good food to be had all along the route.